Tuesday, June 30, 2009

I'm watching the Uptake's live coverage of the news about the Minnesota Supreme Court decision to cede the U.S. Senate race to Al Franken over the incumbent Norm Coleman. It's a mix of citizen journalists, independent media organizations, and a few staff to cover press conferences at the Minnesota capitol, at Norm Coleman's house, at Al Franken's apartment, and they're doing a decent job.

However, it wasn't good enough to keep me because the audio wasn't terrific so I switched to KSTP. But I like the format of bloggers giving the blow by blow with people calling in. It was fresh, and engaging. Now we'll see what the legacy media does with it.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

I've moved blogging about things media reform related to my Word Press blog, mediareformgal.wordpress.com. It's protected, so if you want in, send me your Word Press username, and I'll approve you (and then later I'll have to kill you for viewing it - but it's a small price to pay for my brilliant insights.)

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Driving across New York State on my way to Northampton, Massachusetts, I checked in to the local NPR stations. This is my favorite part of driving around the United States. NPR affiliates tend to have quirky, local programs hosted by the town intelligentsia/elders.

WAMC is the affiliate in this neck of the public media woods, and sure enough, I hear the telltale tone of local hosts talking about their issue of choice. It was the Media Project. This is going to be good, I thought. I love listening to analysis of media issues, especially from a local perspective.

I was soon to be disappointed. The discussion focused on the woes of the media industry and its effect on journalism in print and broadcast. A few items:

1. The host, Rex Smith, talking about how much he loves advertising. True, advertising has paid for some pretty good journalism. It's also paid for some lazy reporting, serious breaches of ethics, and my personal favorite, led us into a war based on misinformation. One thing was clear: Mr. Smith is holding on to the cultural legacy of advertising supported journalism. I'm not saying there isn't a place for it; however, there are alternatives. Which leads me to point 2:

2. Making the case for alternatives. Mr. Smith's partner in crime, WTEN's Elisa Streeter, at one point glibly responded to a valid criticism of profit driven journalism, with "what's the alternative". I awaited the academic's response, who also turns out to be the executive director of WAMC, Alan Chartock. Here was the moment where a public radio executive could make his case and espouse the ability of public media to take up the mantle. But he had no alternative to offer, which saddened me, but did not necessarily surprise me. Mr. Chartock is one of several public media administrators who have little to offer in the way of innovation.

The broadcast encapsulated in a nutshell the problems facing news managers, who are trapped in the thinking of conventional news production, and public media leaders, like Mr. Chartock, who appear weekly to make curmudgeonly comments about the state of journalism.

These are my people: public radio people. Except that they're not. One came from a newspaper, another was a commerical television anchor, and the lone public radio voice didn't have the knowledge to make a coherent argument about what next steps could be taken to bolster journalism, to bolster public media, to redefine the flow of information.

A few thoughts on public broadcasting, news, and where journalism is going...not from the dinosaur perspective.

Ann in Ohio

Drinking at a Kiplinger Party

jobs v gates

Loading...

News Crushes

Raw news judgement isn't developed...it just is. KFAI's leader-facilitator-collaborator is Janis Lane-Ewart. As she has reminded me in the past, she is not a news person. Well, she might as well be. She displayed the right news instincts the night of the bridge fell down in Minneapolis, culling people resources, getting the feed from KSTP, and displaying her gentle fortitude in times of immense pressure. Janis is an example by doing, not saying. She done good.

Marisa Helms has quit Minnesota Public Radio. They did well to hire her: she was not only effective and accurate, she was ambitious in a profession that doesn't notice it very much unless you're covering a war zone. She decided she was mad as hell and wasn't going to take it any longer. And to that I say, good for her. I received 3 voicemail messages since she quit, all asking for references in support of applications for Marisa's job. I only hope they show as much courage as she has.

I'm reading Mary Mapes' account of her fall from grace at CBS news when the bloggers went to town on the documents she verified showing that Shrub had received preferential treatment in the Air National Guard to get out of serving in Vietnam. I don't agree with her on everything (like the press is the noble watchdog of democracy - there are too many corporate hack reporters and publications out there) but she showed a lot of courage under fire. She's also a babe, not that that matters so much, but I gotta say for someone with 25 years in broadcast news, Mary's well kempt. I hope I look that good when I'm her age.

Bill Moyers is still on my list. And the state of the union is still bleak, but Bill Moyers makes the future seem salvageable. Very sweet interview with Robert Bly...although I think people will die if Moyers goes off the air.

Ita Eyabong, one of the Kiplinger Fellows at Ohio State. He's drawing attention to the plight of African journalists in exile. We are so spoiled in the United States, and Ita reminds me every day (since his office is next to mine) that we can't waste air time and print space on Anna Nicole Smith. And he has a sexy mustache.

Elliot Jaspin, who just wrote Buried in the Bitter Waters. Check it out. This guy is suffering alienation in his own news bureau to shed light on yet another black eye on American history, racial cleansings. He also has an amazingly dry wit, which I find quite charming and cute. Smart and cute, who could ask for anything more?